2024 WPIAL Class 6A girls basketball championship breakdown: Norwin vs. North Allegheny

By: Bill Beckner Jr.
Thursday, February 29, 2024 | 1:01 PM

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WPIAL Class 6A girls basketball championship

No. 1 Norwin vs. No. 3 North Allegheny

7 p.m. Friday, Petersen Events Center

On the air: Video livestream: NFHS; Audio broadcast: North Allegheny Sports Network

WPIAL titles: North Allegheny 6 (2023, ’21, ’20, ’18, ’17, 1972); Norwin 2 (2016, ’15)

Norwin (20-3)

Coach: Brian Brozeski

Projected starting lineup

No., Name, Ht., Cl., Pos.

3, Bailey Snowberger, 5-2, sr., PG

10, Kendall Berger, 5-10, jr., G

22, Ava Kobus, 6-0, sr., G

30, Ava Christopher, 5-8, so., G

33, Lauren Palangio, 6-1, sr., F

How they got here: Defeated Seneca Valley (58-20) and Chartiers Valley (63-47)

Notable: North Allegheny and Norwin have met six times in the postseason since 2014 with each winning three. The teams played each other in the 2016 championship with Norwin winning 63-57. Norwin is aiming for its third WPIAL title and first since winning back-to-back crowns in 2015 and ’16. A stacked defensive team with size and experience, the Knights blew past No. 5 Chartiers Valley in the semis, 63-47, as Kendall Berger scored 18 of her game-high 22 in the second half. Sophomore Ava Christopher added 14. Those totals were playoff career highs for Berger and Christopher. Senior forward Lauren Palangio can be a force around the rim. She scored 10 in the semis. Brian Brozeski has 235 career wins at Norwin. Norwin swept the Tigers for the first time in section play, 47-42 and 64-44.

North Allegheny (22-2)

Coach: Spencer Stefko

Projected starting lineup

No., Name, Ht., Cl., Pos.

4, Kellie McConnell, 5-4, sr., G

10, Caroline Henderson, 5-6, sr., G

15, Lydia Betz, 5-11, sr., G

22, Grace Heliger, 5-5, sr., G

24, Cate Pingpank, 6-0, so., G/F

How they got here: Defeated Upper St. Clair (44-41) and Peters Township (43-30)

Notable: North Allegheny beat Norwin in the 2023, ’19 and ’15 semifinals and in the 2016 and ’15 PIAA quarterfinals. Five of North Allegheny’s six titles have come in 6A, which the WPIAL instituted in 2017. The Tigers downed No. 2 Peters Township in the semifinals 43-30 as Lydia Betz scored a game-high 21. They held the Indians to single digits in three quarters. The Tigers have won eight in a row and 14 of their last 15, with the only loss coming against Norwin. Spencer Stefko has guided teams to the WPIAL finals in 11 of the past 12 seasons. Could this final be a defensive struggle? Norwin allows 36.4 points per game, North Allegheny 41.2.

Bill Beckner Jr. is a TribLive reporter covering local sports in Westmoreland County. He can be reached at bbeckner@triblive.com.

Tags: North Allegheny, Norwin